


cradles like a feral animal

by Roxinnaxu



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Genre: Father-Son Relationship, Fighting for your dad, Gen, Identity Reveal, Minor Violence, Saving your dad, Secret Identity, Throwing captain america across the room, Written for a fanfic, idk - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-21
Updated: 2018-09-21
Packaged: 2019-07-15 05:10:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,632
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16056197
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Roxinnaxu/pseuds/Roxinnaxu
Summary: Tony Stark has this intern called Peter Parker.Peter is everything anyone would hope for. Sweet, intelligent, polite, modest. Tony couldn't wish for a better intern.Until, you now, the Winter Soldier is being brought in and the intern suddenly punches Tony and calls a war criminal 'dad'.(Written for 'Astronomy In Reverse', as an AU where Peter works as an intern for Tony Stark)





	cradles like a feral animal

**Author's Note:**

  * For [pansley](https://archiveofourown.org/users/pansley/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Astronomy In Reverse](https://archiveofourown.org/works/12968454) by [pansley](https://archiveofourown.org/users/pansley/pseuds/pansley). 



It had never really been Tony’s intention to get a personal intern, but truth to be told, he had thought about it sometimes. If there was someone clever and witty, someone Tony could work with, why not? An intern could be helpful, sometimes. Maybe, just maybe, the lab seemed lonely at times. But not that Tony would ever say it aloud. 

It was just so Tony happened to overhear a conversation between some of the cafeteria’s cashiers. The one that had a part-time job was apparently also a teacher and had recently been a substitute teacher of this one class in Midtown High. 

She mentioned a boy, a bright teenager who was polite and sweet and could work with machines and technology. She didn’t have any more time to tell about him to her co-worker, because Tony jumped in and whisked her away to hear more about this teenager. 

As it turned out, the boy was amazing. Quick-witted but quite shy, intelligent but modest. And there was his special feature too, as everyone who shared a conversation with him seemed to fall in love immediately. 

If Tony was going to get a teenaged intern, he damn well might have one he enjoyed the company of. This in mind, he decided to go and talk with the kid. 

Because he was Tony, he was physically unable to do anything low-key or quiet. He made Happy drive one of the flashier cars to the kid’s school and park in the middle of the schoolyard. 

After giving Happy precise instructions to wait by the ice cream parlor two blocks away, Tony turned on his heels and marched in. After getting lost in the ridiculously labyrinth-like school, he finally had to resort to asking help from one of the cleaners. The poor man almost knocked over a bucket of soap water but gave Tony the instructions to get to the principal’s office. 

It could be said that the principal was shocked. He actually dropped a pen when Tony waltzed in through the door and flashed a charming smile. Morita, as his name seemed to be, couldn’t bother to pick up the pen, rather smiling to Tony with something vaguely resembling a confident posture. 

Tony almost asked for the kid’s classroom to go get him, but then he remembered the labyrinth that was Midtown and instead pulled out a chair. After a quick conversation Morita was asking for Peter Parker through the intercom. Tony inspected his nails, satisfied. 

After a few minutes someone knocked, and Morita called for them to come in. A young boy opened the door, his eyes immediately widening as he saw Tony. There was some weird look in his eyes for a moment, something almost resembling fear, but it passed quickly, and Tony paid it no mind. There were stranger reactions he had been met with, after all. Instead, he decided to study the kid. 

He was certainly shorter than Tony had expected. His clothes hung a little on his lithe frame, though from what Tony could see his muscles were defined. He looked like he couldn’t decide between fangirling or fainting. Tony smiled at him. Looked promising. 

A few quick conversations later Morita agreed to have Peter leave with Tony. The boy shot a quick text message to someone on the phone that looked like it was built before the dinosaurs could even think about existing. The text was probably to a parent or something. Tony didn’t ask, partially because privacy or whatever and partially because he wasn’t even remotely interested. 

Tony got some ice cream for them both and they talked for a while. Peter accepted the place as an intern. Tony liked him already. The kid talked science and was adorably puppy-like, and that resulted to Tony giving him fifty bucks he happened to have in his pocket and telling him to come in the next day after school. Happy would pick him up. 

It turned out, Peter was perfect. At first he was a little shy and amazed by everything. He loved FRIDAY, loved the bots that did the cleaning, loved even the old coffee machine in the lobby of some of the offices. When Tony led him to the personal labs, Peter looked like he was actually going to die with excitement. Tony considered getting a leash for him, but the kid didn’t break anything, so all was good. 

The officers loved Peter. The other interns loved Peter. Hell, even Tony felt the need to protect Peter with everything he had when the kid stumbled in with a split lip. He assured that it was just some accident, and Tony had to take some deep breaths. 

It kind of scared him, actually, how much he had grown to care about the kid. 

A few months forward, Steve says that they have a lead on the Winter Soldier. Tony isn’t cruel, no, but he really wants to make Barnes pay for everything he has done. But Steve wasn’t supposed to find him in little to no time. Tony didn’t even have time to prepare. 

That results to Peter dropping the stack of papers he has been carrying when the Winter Soldier is being brought in, between half a dozen agents and Captain America himself. 

Tony curses silently and turns to the kid. This wasn’t going to happen because Steve was going to inform Tony when they caught Barnes and Tony was going to whisk the kid away before they arrived. But no. 

Peter is shaking, his eyes the size of dinner plates. Tony lays a careful hand on his shoulder. Peter jumps a little and turns to look at Tony. Tony doesn’t really like the look in the kid’s eyes, but still tries to smile reassuringly. 

His back turned, he misses the startled look the Winter Soldier has when he sees Peter. Steve doesn’t miss it, though, but he doesn’t say anything, just furrows his brows and glances between Peter and Barnes, who has by now returned to his passive demeanor. 

Tony starts to guide Peter away. 

“It’s okay to be scared. He has done some terrible things, but they have him secured.” 

At least Tony hopes so, because those handcuffs look eerily similar to the unsuccessful prototype Tony left lying on the coffee table. He really hopes Steve hadn’t grabbed those in his hurry. 

He doesn’t expect Peters eyes fill with something horribly cold. They are always warm and full of puppies and love and science. Never cold. 

“What did you say?” he mutters, sharp. Tony opens his mouth to answer, shocked, but the Peter is already turning around. His eyes wander before locking onto the Winter Soldier for a moment. 

There is a sudden and sharp pain and then Tony is flying backwards. His back collides with a table and he doesn’t realize his nose is hurting before blood starts dripping out. He staggers back to his feet, trying to make sense of everything that happened in the last twenty seconds. 

Peter is moving too fast for him to comprehend, a blur. Tony almost shouts for him to come back. The next moment Steve is flying too, probably too shocked to properly react. Captain America hits the wall on the other side of the room. 

Tony, even in his dazed state, can still feel the betrayal creeping in. Not to be dramatic or anything but of course anybody he’d ever grown to care about chose to leave him. 

Tony shakes his head and grimaces when spots of blood fly everywhere. Carefully he brings a hand to his nose. It doesn’t seem to be broken, thank God. 

Now onto the more pressing matters. Tony taps his wrist, ready to bring out his gauntlet. Something sticky land on his wrist and Tony, to his astonishment, can’t complete his plan. He is left padding uselessly at his watch, or rather the thing covering it. It almost looks like the things Spider-Man shoots out. 

Tony jerks his head up and looks at Peter. The kid is currently mid-air. A web yanks one of the agents’ guns away, and Barnes kicks the agent’s chest before another one almost shoots him. Almost being the key word here, as Peter wraps the offending agent nice and pretty in webs before yanking himself away. 

Peter, the sweet, bubbly, intelligent intern who references memes and once started to cry because he saw a spider, is Spider-Man. That doesn’t really fit. Tony kind of feels like laughing. 

He doesn’t laugh, though, because the agents finally seem to realize that Peter is the biggest threat in this situation. A shot rings in the air and Peter drops like ragdoll. Tony feels his heart drop, too, and for a moment he’s sure that the scared shout came from his own mouth. Then he sees the Winter Soldier break out of his cuffs, looking scared, angrier than Tony had ever seen him. 

Barnes has the time to throw one agent to the wall. Then one of the still conscious ones, the one he kicked, sticks a taser to his neck and he crumples to the floor. 

“Dad!” a familiar voice shouts, so broken that Tony winces before the word registers. After that his mind just goes completely blank with a big red ‘what the fuck’ blaring inside his head. 

Peter staggers back to his feet, leaving bloodstains to the floor. Red is staining his grey science-pun t-shirt, and Tony feels cold. This kid shouldn’t be bloody, shouldn’t be injured. He should be home, safe and nice, apparently with Barnes. Tony regrets the fact he never did a background check. 

Peter swings over, knocks out the man standing next to the Winter Soldier and positions himself so he’s standing protectively in front of the criminal still on the floor. The three agents still standing point their guns at the kid, as if they don’t see he’s already shot. 

Peter is panting heavily, his feet posed like he’s ready to jump. His arms are extended, metal glinting on his wrist, and Tony can see the way he trembles. He looks like he’s going to topple over at any second but still willing to fight. 

Steve has finally collected himself from the floor. He steps forward, holding his oversized Frisbee of Death, looking conflicted. Tony straightens himself, still clutching his nose. He and Steve share an uneasy glance. There is no way either one of them is going to hurt Peter. For a moment it all is almost still, if they don’t count Peter’s trembling and Barnes’ attempts to get himself up and awake again. 

Steve lowers his shield. He opens his mouth, as if to say something, but doesn’t have the time to as one of the agents steps forward. Peter, his attention on Steve, doesn’t react quick enough. Tony barely sees the taser in the agent’s hand, hears Barnes’ alarmed noise, and then the agent sticks something into Peter’s neck. The kid jerks and lets out a small yelp. Tony sees his eyes roll back and then he drops, like his dad a few moments ago, dead to the world. Hopefully only to the world. 

Deep growl shreds itself from the half-awake Winter Soldier. He grabs the agent’s ankle and twists it. The agent goes down with a shout. 

Barnes doesn’t care. He’s already diving forward with all the grace and speed his dazed state allows, snatching Peter and backing away. Tony jerks forward on reflex. The Winter Soldier’s stare locks on him, eyes narrowing dangerously. The criminal snarls and cradles Peter tightly against his chest, looking every inch of a feral animal protecting his cub. It might have been hilarious if not the limp, blood-stained teenager and the desperate look in Barnes’ eyes. 

Tony feels the hot, dizzying anger rise inside him. He can’t look at the unconscious kid anymore. Instead, he turns his gaze to the two agents still on their feet, and then the one on the ground. What kind of bright idea had it been, to use the taser on Peter? It was designed to bring down super soldiers, not teenaged boys who jumped around the lab and smiled at everything and shared hugs for everyone who might have been feeling down. 

The wave of worry that follows is overwhelming and terrifying. Is Peter even breathing anymore, is his heart beating? What about that bullet wound? 

“Out, you two. Take the others to the medical or something, I don’t care. Get out”, he growls to the two agents still standing. The first one looks like he’s ready to argue, but the other stops him. They both cast unimpressed stares at Tony before collecting their co-workers, seemingly knowing not to argue with Tony Stark. Good, because Tony is pretty damn close to just throwing them all out of the window. 

Steve drops his shield and pushes it away. He approaches Peter and Barnes, much like someone would approach an injured wild animal. That’s probably for the best. 

Barnes, still groggy, zeroes on Steve. He curls more protectively around Peter and keeps his eyes as sharp as he can get them, baring his teeth. Tony is pretty sure he’s trying to appear as intimidating as possible. 

Steve raises his hands slowly. 

“It’s okay, Buck, I’m not going to hurt you two. I’m not. We just gotta get you to the med bay, okay? You are injured. I just want to help.” 

Barnes doesn’t say anything, just tightens his hold of Peter. His eyes shift between Peter and Steve, like he’s trying to decide if he can trust Steve with Peter or not. 

Steve steps closer and crouches in front of the two, a safe distance away. Barnes stiffens. Steve keeps his hands where Barnes can see them, and his voice clicks to that calm and comforting tone he often uses to soothe people. 

“You’re both safe, you just need medical attention. We are going to help you. You can trust me, Buck. I’m not going to hurt you.” 

Barnes tears his gaze from Steve and eyes Tony warily. Tony raises his other hand, the other still holding his nose. At least the blood seems to have stopped. Ruined the suit, though. 

“Not gonna hurt you”, he says and adds, “I care about the kid too.” His voice is thick behind the blood. Damn, the kid can throw a punch. 

Barnes still eyes Tony warily, but then he looks at Peter and seems to come to a decision. Slowly, the criminal stands up. He’s wobbly on his feet but flinches away when Steve tries to help. Tony’s heart lurches and he must admit that he fears for the kid’s safety. There is probably no reason, though, because Barnes looks like he’d rather die than let anything else hurt the kid. Tony can relate to that. 

It’s ridiculous, really, how the kid seems to have a way to worm his way to the heart of every single being who crosses his path. 

Steve huffs, impatient and worrying. He steps a bit closer. 

“Would it be okay if I carried him? That way you can walk better. That taser did a number on you, bud.” 

Barnes tightens his hold of Peter and glances towards Steve. To Tony’s relief, he does seem to be thinking about it. Finally, he drops his head and speaks. 

“Would it get him there faster?” 

Steve nods. And holds his arms out. There’s a pause, and then Barnes slowly gives Peter to be carried by the waiting hands. Steve starts running towards the medical as soon as he has the kid and Barnes jerks as if to follow, a sad whimper escaping from his mouth when his legs don’t co-operate with him. 

“I feel you, buddy, I feel you”, Tony mutters, looking at the blood staining the floor.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm so sorry this was kind of crappy, I'm not a native English speaker! I really hope you enjoyed it, though! And please go read Astronomy in Reverse, it's an amazing fic with dad-Bucky and son-Peter!


End file.
